Carronshore Connor’s big day marks milestone

He beat the odds while clinging to life as a baby - now a brave wee boy is about to start primary school.

​When Connor Harley (5) was born 13 weeks premature he weighed only 2lbs 2oz and spent the next four months in intensive care, battling for breath and struggling against infection.

Mum Sandra (37) said: “It was touch and go and we were told by doctors he might not survive. The minute he was born he was straight into intensive care.

“It just seemed to be one thing after another over the next four months - he had infections and a hole in his heart which eventually closed on its own just before they were going to have to operate.

“He was the old man of the ward by the time he left - they gave him a certificate when he got to 100 days. When he eventually came home he was still only 5lb 3oz and for the first few weeks I would lie down at the bottom of the bed with my head near his Moses’ basket so I could hear him breathing.”

Sadly Connor’s twin brother Alexander, who was only 1lb 13oz, died 36 hours after being born. And the family will be thinking about him when Connor heads off from their Webster Avenue home on Tuesday morning to start Carronshore Primary School.

Sandra said: “Connor and Alexander were both christened in the hospital when they were only a day old. It’s going to be a bittersweet day on Tuesday.

“Connor knows what happened to his brother - I never hid it from him. He just says baby Alex is up in the sky when he looks at the stars.”

Connor, who lists his favourite television programmes as Lazy Town and Spongebob Squarepants, will be going up to primary with his nursery pals Katie, Cameron, Emma and Ellie and knows what he is looking forward to most.

“My baby boy is going to school - it’s something I thought I would never see.”

Sandra thanked Connor’s Aunty Wendy, his grandparents and the staff at Stirling Royal Infirmary neonatal ward for the support, help and care which allowed her wee boy to take the big step of starting primary school next week.